


Horizons to Chase

by kittu9



Category: Naruto
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-18
Updated: 2011-06-18
Packaged: 2017-10-20 12:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/212873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittu9/pseuds/kittu9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fact of the matter is, they aren’t very good at this.</p><p>Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke go out for ramen. It might mean something. It's tough being twelve.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Horizons to Chase

**Author's Note:**

> written for Christmas 2005 for array-of-colours (aka lilacfield) for festivewind.  
> Set very early in the manga continuity.

The first time that they eat together at Ichiraku, it is a disaster. Naruto laughs too loudly and fights with Sasuke (who does not respond, but eats his ramen steadily) and finishes off Sakura's order (she is starving, having forgone breakfast and skimped on her lunch. She wants to be skinny so that Sasuke will notice her and she picks half-heartedly at her ramen, her hunger having transformed into an odd queasiness). Kakashi reads his stupid book throughout the meal and somehow, without removing his mask, manages to eat two and half orders of ramen (Naruto steals the last half-bowl. Under that jumpsuit of his, the boy is all ribs). The other patrons glare at them and the waitress, polite to the last, bows good-bye with a little more relief than is usual.

In the beginning, this is about as well as one can expect them to get along. They don't go back to Ichiraku as team for several weeks.

On their next visit, Naruto is still boisterous, although his actions have a strange restraint in them. Sasuke responds to Naruto's fake punches and illusory kunai with a few well-chosen sentences and an elbow to the gut, knocking Naruto out of his seat. Sasuke pretends that nothing out of the ordinary has happened, but Naruto laughs with sheer delight as he hoists himself back into his spot at the counter; this is at least a little bit of recognition. Sakura scolds them, heaping most of the blame on Naruto's shoulders (he shrugs it off and steals a mouthful of her ramen). She eats more avidly than she did on her last visit; her skinny body is starting to develop small, lean muscles. She also nags Kakashi to put down that perverted book, sensei, come on! Kakashi ignores her and lets Naruto steal his ramen, which is largely untouched. The waitress, as she bids them farewell, does not look quite so desperate to see them leave (although they certainly could have left a better tip).

Then the Chuunin exams are announced and the changes begin to shudder underneath the collective skins of Team 7 with great intensity. They do not eat out together, preferring to train instead.

For some time, the waitress grows used to the oddly lonely sight of Naruto huddled at the counter, Sakura seated next to him. The two genin have a hunched look about them, as if their bodies are fighting not to express a great weariness. They quibble a little, but more often they converse in half-tones, fragmented sentences, as if their minds are set so firmly upon one topic that they do not need to say aloud half of their thoughts. Naruto's eyes have taken on a strange brightness that seems a little akin to desperation, and Sakura, once so careful of her appearance, leaves her roughly cropped hair hanging in her eyes. She looks meditative and her glances seem calculating, as if she is curious and a little uncertain. Their third teammate does not make an appearance and neither does their gangling teacher.

Systematically, Naruto is eating his way through the menu. His theory is something along the lines of more is more, ramen is ramen, and Team 7 needs to spend more time as a goddamn team. Sakura always orders the same thing and is the only one to ever remember to ask for water. She can never quite finish her own portion, much to Naruto's delight. As for Sasuke; he doesn't come with them often enough to have a usual choice.

The last time they eat together (Kakashi is conspicuously absent), the waitress wonders at how they have grown into each other's idiosyncrasies. They eat quietly and neatly. Sakura pushes her bowl, three-quarters empty, over to Naruto. Sasuke avoids the look in her eyes as she glances at him; her wide sweet eyes seem adult and measured now, compassionate. After their empty bowls are shoved to one side, Sakura leans over Sauske and exchanges glances with Naruto, who nods and nudges Sasuke with one shoulder. They stand together, smoothly. It is as if each team member's movements pick up where their teammates' leave off. They leave the ramen stand as a team and they don't look back.

A few weeks later, Sasuke is gone, Naruto is leaving, and Sakura is learning about time's unfortunate and uncanny ability to stand still. She loiters outside Ichiraku for nearly an hour before going in and taking her usual counter seat. She sits alone, unconsciously mimicking Naruto's abandoned posture of old, and orders a bowl of ramen in a flavor she has never before tried. Missing her team terribly, determined not to give up, she lifts her chopsticks with poised fingers and begins to eat.


End file.
